Driving Service Quality Through Strategic Agility and Technological Capabilities: A Study of Nigeria's Telecom Sector

The quality of service provided by telecommunications companies is widely recognized as a pivotal factor in maintaining competitiveness and meeting the diverse needs of customers. Its significance is underscored by its profound impact on customer retention rates, making it a focal point of interest. Nevertheless, the sector grapples with persistent challenges such as diminishing levels of empathy, availability, reliability, and responsiveness. These issues are often linked to constraints in strategic adaptability and technological prowess. Notably, while existing research extensively examines this subject in developed nations, it tends to overlook the distinctive dynamics prevalent in developing countries like Nigeria. Hence, the study examined the effect of strategic agility and technological capabilities on service quality of selected telecommunication companies in Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted. The population was 8,155 tertiary institution students and 855 employees of MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9Mobile. A sample size of 477 students and 477 telecommunication employees was determined using the Raosoft calculator. Simple random sampling techniques was adopted for the telecommunication employees, while stratified random sampling techniques was adopted for the students. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.79 to 0.92. The response rate was 76.6%. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential (partial least square-structural equation modelling) statistics. Findings revealed that strategic agility and technological capability had significant effect on 2 2 2 service quality (Adj.R = 0.36, F = 0.09, Q = 0.01, p < 0.05) of the selected telecommunication companies in Nigeria. The study concluded that strategic agility and technological capability enhanced service quality of the selected telecommunication c o m p a n i e s i n N i g e r i a . T h e s t u d y a d v o c a t e s f o r telecommunications management to bolster their strategic agility and technological competencies as a means to enhance their overall service quality.